Winterclaw's tale
by Striker in the night
Summary: This is the story of Winterclaw' (the warrior equivilant of Santa clause) Also my christmas story for this year
1. Chapter 1

enjoy AND MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! (it isn't to early is it?)

* * *

"I can't wait till tonight." Said Violetkit skidding in the snow watching as it flew past her paws.

"Me neither Winterclaws is visiting tonight." Said Snowkit gliding into the elders den and running up to Shiverpelt.

"Hello little one." Said Shiverpelt as she stopped Snowkit from gliding right into her.

"Can you tell me and Violetkit the story of Winterclaws?" Asked Snowkit as Violetkit skidded into the den.

"Sure," Said Shiverpelt waiting for Violetkit and Snowkit to get comfortable. "A long time ago when I was only a young kit there was a apprentice called Winterpaw."

::::::::::

"Splinterstar we need more territory." Said Badgerstripe looking at the Leader of Snowyclan, life had not gotten any easier since the great snow storm that covered most of the territories and Snowyclan was the only one that taught apprentices to hunt in the snow, the other clans found it unessecery because snow very rarely fell away from Snowyclan until that moon when snow covered the intire area.

::::::::::

"But Eclipseheart told me that snow always fell on all territories?" said Snowkit a little confused.

"Now this story is based long before he was born, so it is possible," Said Shiverpelt letting out a small laugh, "Now where was I oh yes, now Duckstar leader of Sandclan wanted Splinter to give him more territory so he sent over Badgerstripe to negociate."

::::::::

"We can teach you to hunt in the snow, but no more then that we need to eat too." Said Splinterstar looking at the young warrior thinking of how much of a coward Duckstar was for not coming over himself to discuss this issue.

"I will tell Duckstar to see what he thinks." Said Badgerstripe sneering and leaving the leaders den.

Winterpaw sat in the corner watching the meeting he hid perfectly in the snowy white den with his pelt.

"I know you're there Winterpaw." Said Splinterstar looking at Winterpaw and walking over.

"I thought that I could help if a fight broke out." Said Winterpaw with a sorry look on his face.

"You are one of my best apprentices Winterpaw, but sometimes you have to think about your own safety first okay?" Said Splinterstar smiling at Winterpaw who nodded his head and walked out of the den.

::::::::

"Hey Winterpaw,"Said Sweetpaw running up to Winterpaw smiling and Winterpaw watched as she shook her fur dry, "Summerwing just taught me to ice fish, I ended up falling in." Winterpaw nodded his head he didn't talk much he prefered not to.

"I was just watching Splinterstar." Said Winterpaw smiling as Sweetpaw's fur puffed From being dried off.

"Wow you're lucky I wish I was the leaders apprentice I never get to see anything cool." said Sweetpaw even though she was ten moons she had that kit like charm that was one of her best qualities in Winterpaw's opinion.

"Well it was kind of boring really," Said Winterpaw rubbing his paw in the snow, "I mean I would have been happy with any of the other warriors." Winterpaw let out a cheesy grin and Sweetpaw laughed.

"Well I better go to sleep I have patrol tomorrow." Said Sweetpaw pecking Winterpaw in the cheek walked inside the apprentice den and fell asleep.

::::::::

Winterpaw woke up late into the night, most of the clan was asleep except Splinterstar who was talking to a very angry sounding she-cat most likely Duckstar.

"Look we need that piece of territory," Said Duckstar Winterpaw could hear the beating of her tail against the hard dirt floor. "Most of our kits have caught and that's the only piece of territory that we know has a good supply of Cat mint." Duckstar's voice became harsher as Splinterstar became more reluctant to give up the territory.

"We'll collect the cat mint for you, but we will not give up territory for some kits that are not ours." Said Splinterstar turning his towards Duckstar and walked back into the den.

"This means war then." Said Duckstar hissing.

Winterpaw's eyes widened as he heard Duckstar leave he couldn't just let there be a war over territory but he knew Duckstar was known for her stubbornness and was very hard to be convinced to go another way other then her way then Winterpaw got an idea and snuck out of camp through a hole that he and Sweetpaw dug out as kits in the back of the apprentice dens, the clan kept it there in case of an emergency and the apprentices couldn't get out the front way and he was glad they did.

:::::::::::

"Snowkit! Time for your nap." Called Lightstep to her kit, Snowkit sighed not wanting to leave.

"Mum do I have to?" Asked Snowkit as Lightstep walked into the Elders den, "I want to hear the rest of the story."

"Well I'm sure you are tired and Violetkit should be getting ready for a nap soon too." Said Lightstep looking down at the young kits.

"I'll tell you the rest of the story when you wake up okay." Said Shiverpelt smiling as Snowkit looked at him with big grey eyes.

"Promise?"

"Promise."


	2. Chapter 2

Shiverpelt opened his eyes from a long sleep and it was some time in the afternoon when Snowkit and Violetkit came running in.

"SHIVERPELT! SHIVERPELT! We're ready to hear the rest of the story!" Said Snowkit smiling at the old tom who let out a laugh then looked at the young kits.

"Alright well Winterpaw was at the old oak collecting catmint, his idea could work aslong as he wasn't seen."

:::::::::::::

'I should give Snowdrop some credit, this is actually harder then I thought,' Thought Winterpaw trudging through the snow with Catmint in his mouth, he laughed at the small joke he made in his head, he smiled as he saw a few little strands of cat mint still growing and left them alone his clan still needed it just in case. 'Well this should be enough.' Winterpaw skidded through the snow to the border between Snowyclan and Sandclan carefully placed the plants so that when the border patrol came around they could see them and then ran back towards camp.

:::::::::

"WHY WOULD HE GIVE THE CATMINT TO SANDCLAN? They're nothing but sandfaces how can they hunt in that stuff?" Asked Violetkit, Shiverpelt just laughed and continued the story.

"Now Winterpaw had very little sleep after his adventure but he knew his cover was blown when Duckstar came into camp."

:::::::::::

"Hello Duckstar, here to try and negociate again?" Asked Splinterstar throwing his head back as he laughed. "Now that is funny."

"No I'm here to say thank you," Said Duckstar as Splinterstar gave the sandy coloured she-cat a look of pure confusion, "Well I don't know why you are confused you left those Catmint stalks at the border didn't you?" Splinterstar shook his head, "Well if you didn't who did?" Splinterstar just shrugged, "Heh typical tom, no nothing well I would like to think that who ever gave them to us is given a good reward." Duckstar walked out of the camp and back to her own clan.

"Winterpaw?" Called Splinterstar with an angry tone to his voice, "Come here NOW!" Winterpaw walked towards Splinterstar his head hanging low like a branch from a tree, "Now Winterpaw did you give that catmint to Sandclan?" Winterpaw slowly nodded his head, "You know that greencough season is coming, we needed that catmint in case our storage runs low, now as punishment you will hunt for all the elders for the next moon," Winterpaw just nodded his head and left the den and Splinterstar just sighed and shook his head "What am I going to do with that tom."

::::::::::::::

Winterpaw let out a heave of relief as he gave the last elder his piece of prey and his stomach growled.

"Sounds like someones hungry?" Said Sweetpaw with a laugh, "Want to share with me?" Sweetpaw picked up a rabbit Winterpaw hadn't realised was at his paws.

"Sure." Said Winterpaw smiling and walking off with Sweetpaw helping her carry the rabbit then they sat down by the apprentice den and started eating it.

::::::::::::::

That night Winterpaw went to collect some feathers for the kits it was a shame that they couldn't get something as well and they complained about having nothing to play with nearly everyday, but it was getting colder and the wind was picking up as snow fell from the ground and covered the ground Winterpaw was walking on and he finally stopped when the snow was at his knees, he was cold hungry and couldn't go anywhere so he just let the snow fall around he rested his head on some snow he was to tired to walk back to camp and just let the snow cover him like a blanket And the he closed his eyes one last time.

:::::::::::::::

"BUT WINTERCLAWS ISN'T DEAD!" Shouted Snowkit spoiling that Part of the story.

"Yes, but you haven't let me finish yet," Said Shiverpelt as Snowkit went quiet And let him continue the story. "Now Winterpaw opened his eyes to find himself in Starclan, others who had seen it described it to him all the timethat's how he knew where he was."

::::::::::::::

"Hello young one." Said a brown tom with pale amber eyes.

"Hello, am I dead?" Asked Winterpaw knowing the answer but still wanting to make sure.

"Yes I'm afraid so, but Starclan as agreed that you will come to life on the twelve sunrise of Leaf bare and give herbs and other items that the clans need to survive." Said the Brown tom smiling at Winterpaw.

"But I'm only an apprentice." Said Winterpaw a little surprised at what he had been told.

"It'll be okay we have found some loners that are willing to help you and from now on you shall be known as Winterclaws." Said the brown tom smiling and leading Winterclaws towards Starclan.

:::::::::::

"And from that day on Winterclaws would deliver important items to each clan and would always leave a single feather to mark where he had been." said Shiverpelt finishing the story.

"Wow!" Said Violetkit with a huge grin on her face and then turned to find her mother Sunstripe standing behind her.

"Violetkit, It's time to go to bed now." Said Sunstripe as Violetkit let out a yawn and walked with Snowkit to the nursery the story still fresh in there minds.

:::::::::::::

that night Shiverpelt woke and walked outside the den to stretch his legs and then saw a large white figure run into camp with cat mint in his mouth, Shiverpelt walked up and smiled at the figure.

"It's been long time since we last met," Said Shiverpelt as the cat dropped the catmint in the center of camp and then the figure turned towards Shiverpelt. "You have done well this year and I would like to say thank you for everything you have done," The white figure just smiled and nodded his head and then disapeared in a flurry of white snow and Shiverpelt looked up as he saw a cat moving through the night sky. "Merry christmas brother, merry christmas."

* * *

yep, so if you haven't realised the white figure was Winterclaws so yeah.


End file.
